Thankfully, I didn’t need to use the can of bear spray I slept next to and we all woke up bright and early at 5. I thought we were moving really quickly packing things up, but we didn’t start the hike until 6:20. Why so early? Well, being in the middle of the desert, we really wanted to get as much of the 7 mile hike done before the the sun rose too high. I think it was the first sunrise the girls have seen and it was lovely.
The hike started super simply, down about 750 feet into a canyon. The huge canyon walls provided the shade we needed to keep cool. Not too far into the hike we saw a preserved dinosaur footprint. It is simple marked by a ring of rocks circling it, no sign or other indicator. The dinosaur must of stepped in mud and the environmental factors were just so that it was preserved.
The hike continued down until we were at the base of the canyon. The river bed that carved it is mostly dry, with the exception of a few puddles, so we were walking in deep sand. It was quite challenging. We eventually came to the pictographs/petroglyphs. There were four galleries, each more amazing than the one before. It is estimated that they are between 2000 and 6000 years old. Some estimate! They are perfectly preserved and so incredibly beautiful. A thin chain was the only barrier between us and them, and we were able to get within inches of some.
Along the trail we found, as we had been warned, great evidence of a mountain lion kill. The smell of the carcass was undeniable, but more fascinating was the dozens upon dozens of newly broken tree branches on the ground. It was clear that this was a heck of a fight. I was reminded, again, that we are just visitors in the animal world, and how fortunate we are to catch a glimpse of the wild.
This was an out and back, so we turned around at The Great Gallery and started our way back. The sun was above the canyon walls for most of the return hike, adding heat to the sand factor. However, we were all happy and in awe of what we had seen, it wasn’t too difficult.
Then the incline to the top began. I thought I was a goner. It was so hot (95 degrees), we had 750 feet to climb with only giant boulders as our path, there was absolutely no shade, and our water was warm. Zak didn’t seem to be phased by the conditions, but the rest of us were freaking out, which was not helping us get to the top any quicker. But we just kept placing one foot in front of the other and we finally saw the end. We were about 100 feet from the car when I told Zak that I feel so stupid, but I didn’t think I was going to make it. But we did. I think it was 10:50 when we finished.
We gulped cold water, peeled off the stinky boots, pack up the gear, and left Horseshoe Canyon. As we were just pulling out of the parking lot, we saw a purple mylar star shaped balloon land on the ground near us. It appeared to come from nowhere. I’m not a huge believed in signs, but that had to have meant something. We just don’t know what.
Zak graciously drove back out that dirt road and all the way to Moab. It’s in the 100s so we took a quick dip in the pool, showered up, found the laundromat, and some good snacks and drinks.
It was a magical morning, one I hope to never forget.
***Disclaimer: We typically write these posts later in the evening or night, after long days, often on our phones, so I apologize for any and all typos and grammatical/spelling errors.
